1. Field
The invention is in the field of hand-held devices for use in conjunction with an appropriate solvent to remove chewing gum, grease, paint, and wax from the nap of carpeting by agitating the gum, grease, paint, or wax and the carpet nap to soak in the solvent.
2. State of the Art
The removal of chewing gum, grease, paint, and wax from carpet is a long-standing problem. Such gum, grease, paint, or wax is typically very sticky and gets tangled in the upper portion, or the nap of the carpet, without penetrating therethrough to the primary backing to which the nap is woven or stitched, nor to the secondary backing which is typically glued to the lower surface of such primary backing against the floor. Various devices have been used in the past to remove such substances from carpet. One such device designed primarily for removing gum from carpet is a so-called bone scraper which is an elongate, flattened device of about the size and configuration of a popsicle stick but slightly shorter in length and wider, the width thereof being tapered at one end to a point. The device is used in conjunction with a gum-dissolving solvent which is worked into the gum by means of the pointed end thereof poking and prodding the gum to mix the solvent therewith. The solvent prevents the gum from further sticking to itself, the carpet, and the device, such that the gum can be picked from the carpet in pieces rather than necessitating completely dissolving the gum. The device is only marginally effective in removing gum from carpet. An appropriate gel-type solvent can be used on the gum, grease, paint, or wax rather than the typical non-thickened solvents which have a water-like consistency. Such gels do not soak through the nap into the primary backing which could cause the glue laminating the primary and secondary backings together, such as those glues which are latex-based, to dissolve and thus delaminate the carpet. One such gel-type solvent for use with gum is a citrus peel-based solvent with a thixotropic thickening agent.